This article was written by Rob Orrman of Shepperton, Victoria explaining how he came upon his Australian-built DKW F8 utility. It was published in German in the AUVC Nachrichten magazine vol 64 in March 1991. The original article can be found here: https://auvc-archive.blogspot.com/2020/03/auvc-nachrichten-vol-64-march-1991.html I have translated the article back into English.
Some of you may know that before the Second World War, the DKW Frontwagen was quite popular in Australia. Not only that, they were also built there - that's what our legislators wanted. Regent Motors Pty in Melbourne acted as both the importer and manufacturer. The chassis were imported from Germany, and the bodies were, with the exception of the luxury-cabriolets, manufactured in-house. These bodies had nothing in common with the German series bodies. They were entirely made of sheet steel and were purchased from the Kellow-Falkner company in Melbourne. In addition to a four-seater limousine, the DKW Frontwagons were also offered as an open touring car, as a delivery van with an enclosed body and as a platform truck. In Australia, these were called “utes.”
Incidentally, when the war broke out in autumn 1939 and German products were boycotted in Australia, Regent Motors delivered its DKW cars under the name RMS 8HP. The HP stood for Horsepower, or PS in German. The 8 meant 8 tax horsepower. Instead of the typical DKW logo on the grille, num was a crest-shaped emblem with initials RM. Where the four rings proudly revealed the origin of the automobile, an 8 was installed. But this is only an incidental matter.
Since my father had a DKW agency before the war - he also traded in Lanz products - my connection with the DKW Front cars of the pre-war period is understandable. After I was able to acquire and restore an F7 limousine with the typical Kellow-Falkner body, and an F5 Front luxury two-seater convertible for restoration, I became interested in one of the platform trucks that was part of the range at the time.
I placed an advert in the "Weekly Times", which is the weekly magazine most read by farmers in the state of Victoria. Since the platform truck was quite popular with farmers, I was hoping for success here. "Looking for a DKW flatbed truck, complete or individual body; who knows where such a vehicle is? Please call under the telephone number."
But I waited in vain, the hoped-for telephone calls did not come.
It was a Friday evening, about three months later, that the phone rang. The unknown caller said: "Have you got a ute?" I must have sounded a little confused and speechless, so he made his question more precise: "Have you already got a DKW ute?" Now the penny dropped. After three months I completely forgotten my ad. "No" was my answer. "Well, I have a car here." The caller said the car was complete except for the motor. He added that I needed to hurry if I still wanted the car as he was going to Queensland for three months on Sunday.
I immediately set all the levers in motion to rent a trailer that same evening. I was lucky. The next morning at half past four I was able to make my way to Gulong, Victoria, about four hours from my hometown of Shepparton.
I arrived in Gulong shortly after half past eight. The owner of the car was very surprised to see me so early in the morning. He showed me the platform truck. It was an F8, pitifully covered with ripe, blue-red plums. Stored outside, the interior, had been badly affected by the weather and completely rotten. We negotiated a deal and I pulled the F8 onto my trailer. I ask him about the engine. "It is not for sale. It is for my DKW sedan that I am currently restoring", was his surprising answer.
Before I started driving home, I asked him why he had only called me three months after the advertisement appeared.
Well, he said, a friend of his was sitting on the "dunny" and reading the newspaper in question, and then he noticed the ad and called him immediately to alert him to my search.
For a better understanding, I have to explain that a "dunny" is a typical unplumbed toilet on older Australian farms. It is located in a small outbuilding, some distance from the house, out on the courtyard. Here the person concerned had probably deposited some older magazines for "passing the time."
However, it was the only offer I got. With the help of my friend Bill Dean, I assembled an engine from many individual parts. The entire restoration has taken over eight years and I am happy to say that it has been a successful restoration. In this way, another rare DKW has been saved for the future.
Roy Orrman's DKWs are now on display at the Museum of Vehicle Evolution in Shepparton, Victoria. https://www.moveshepparton.com.au/
The ute looks in great condition.
His sedan also looks great. Australian DKWs were given wood-framed steel bodies from local body shops. They are quite different to German DKW body styles.
This example looks to be bodied in German style as a roadster. Generally, Australian-built roadsters have a body more like a contemporary MG.
The museum collection also has an Auto Union 1000S. Given that there are few surviving DKWs in Australia, this must be the largest collection on display anywhere in the country.
For a register of surviving DKW cars in Australia:
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2017/06/surviving-dkw-cars-in-australia.html
The History of DKW cars in Australia:
https://dkwautounionproject.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-history-of-dkw-in-australia.html
That ute years later ended up with my late father Gerald padley who formed the dkw car club of Australia which was later known as the German historical registrar, he acquired it from my uncle Ray who ran a plumbing business in Beaumaris Melbourne, that ute got my Padley family vast distances around Victoria. since my sister was only very young my father and mother sat in the comfort of the front of the ute with my sister on my mother's lap, I however had to sit in the back of the ute which had a canvas cover over it sitting there by myself freezing in Melbourne winters. I acquired all the lovely 2-stroke fumes and the looks of despair from other motorists travelling behind, it was a great memory, growing up as a kid with other mates in the back going to the AFL footy matches, the looks we got from other motorists as we pulled faces at them and did stupid acts was never-to-be-forgotten. I would say Dad disposed of the vehicle around the mid 60s and he acquired other pre-war deeks, after a long search for an f93 or a 1000 he finally acquired his 1958 1000, and worked on it and worked on it until he got the final result around mid 70s. after his passing I have have now got that car and am in the middle of a total rebuild of the engine and the clutch and totally transforming the car to its former glory. After 3 long return trips from Melbourne to the gold coast the engine has died. I am also adding a sliding ragtop sunroof to give me some 🌞 sun in my partner and I in summer.l am proud to be the owner of such a wonderful little car. Neil Padley registration number is 58 DKW
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